For instance, there was the emergency lane-change maneuver. Say you're driving along 45 or 50 miles per hour and someone noses out from a side street into your lane. Could you quickly swerve into the other lane and, just as quickly, swerve back again without losing control?
With the Malibu it was no problem. With orange cones laying out the desired path, I got up to speed, lifted off the gas just before the maneuver was to start then - swoop, swoop - I was able to place the car precisely where I wanted it to be at every step.
With good steering feel, controlled body movements and balanced handling, the Malibu was quick and intuitively responsive. Electronic stability control, which uses computer assistance to keep the car from skidding in abrupt maneuvers, comes as standard equipment in all but the base LS version.
By comparison, the Camry lacked the Malibu's composure and precision. Even in models with stability control, avoiding cones felt a good bit more like guesswork with more body roll and less steering feel.
